diff --git a/tests/java-src/org/jnius/VariablePassing.java b/tests/java-src/org/jnius/VariablePassing.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ca1725
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/java-src/org/jnius/VariablePassing.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package org.jnius;
+
+public class VariablePassing {
+
+  private static void squareNumbers(int[] numbers) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) {
+      numbers[i] = i * i;
+    }
+  }
+
+  public static void singleParamStatic(int[] numbers) {
+    squareNumbers(numbers);
+  }
+
+  public static void multipleParamsStatic(int[] numbers1, int[] numbers2, int[] numbers3, int[] numbers4) {
+    squareNumbers(numbers1);
+    squareNumbers(numbers2);
+    squareNumbers(numbers3);
+    squareNumbers(numbers4);
+  }
+
+  public void singleParam(int[] numbers) {
+    squareNumbers(numbers);
+  }
+
+  public void multipleParams(int[] numbers1, int[] numbers2, int[] numbers3, int[] numbers4) {
+    squareNumbers(numbers1);
+    squareNumbers(numbers2);
+    squareNumbers(numbers3);
+    squareNumbers(numbers4);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_pass_by_reference_or_value.py b/tests/test_pass_by_reference_or_value.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c63dc38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_pass_by_reference_or_value.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+from __future__ import print_function
+from __future__ import division
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+import unittest
+from jnius import autoclass
+
+class PassByReferenceOrValueTest(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def _verify(self, numbers, changed):
+        for i in range(len(numbers)):
+            self.assertEqual(numbers[i], i * i if changed else i)
+
+    def _verify_all(self, numbers, changed):
+            for n, c in zip(numbers, changed):
+                self._verify(n, c)
+
+    def test_single_param(self):
+        VariablePassing = autoclass('org.jnius.VariablePassing')
+        variablePassing = VariablePassing()
+
+        # passed by reference (default), numbers should change
+        numbers = list(range(10))
+        VariablePassing.singleParamStatic(numbers)
+        self._verify(numbers, True)
+
+        # passed by reference, numbers should change
+        numbers = list(range(10))
+        VariablePassing.singleParamStatic(numbers, pass_by_reference=True)
+        self._verify(numbers, True)
+
+        # passed by value, numbers should not change
+        numbers = list(range(10))
+        VariablePassing.singleParamStatic(numbers, pass_by_reference=False)
+        self._verify(numbers, False)
+
+        # passed by reference (default), numbers should change
+        numbers = list(range(10))
+        variablePassing.singleParam(numbers)
+        self._verify(numbers, True)
+
+        # passed by reference, numbers should change
+        numbers = list(range(10))
+        variablePassing.singleParam(numbers, pass_by_reference=True)
+        self._verify(numbers, True)
+
+        # passed by value, numbers should not change
+        numbers = list(range(10))
+        variablePassing.singleParam(numbers, pass_by_reference=False)
+        self._verify(numbers, False)
+
+    def test_multiple_params(self):
+        VariablePassing = autoclass('org.jnius.VariablePassing')
+        variablePassing = VariablePassing()
+
+        # passed by reference (default), all numbers should change
+        numbers = [list(range(10)) for _ in range(4)]
+        VariablePassing.multipleParamsStatic(*numbers)
+        self._verify_all(numbers, [True] * 4)
+
+        # passed by reference, all numbers should change
+        numbers = [list(range(10)) for _ in range(4)]
+        VariablePassing.multipleParamsStatic(*numbers, pass_by_reference=True)
+        self._verify_all(numbers, [True] * 4)
+
+        # passed by value, no numbers should change
+        numbers = [list(range(10)) for _ in range(4)]
+        VariablePassing.multipleParamsStatic(*numbers, pass_by_reference=False)
+        self._verify_all(numbers, [False] * 4)
+
+        # only the first set of numbers should change
+        numbers = [list(range(10)) for _ in range(4)]
+        VariablePassing.multipleParamsStatic(*numbers, pass_by_reference=[True, False])
+        self._verify_all(numbers, [True, False, False, False])
+
+        # only the first set of numbers should not change
+        numbers = [list(range(10)) for _ in range(4)]
+        VariablePassing.multipleParamsStatic(*numbers, pass_by_reference=[False, True])
+        self._verify_all(numbers, [False, True, True, True])
+
+        # only the odd sets of numbers should change
+        numbers = [list(range(10)) for _ in range(4)]
+        changed = (True, False, True, False)
+        VariablePassing.multipleParamsStatic(*numbers, pass_by_reference=changed)
+        self._verify_all(numbers, changed)
+
+        # only the even sets of numbers should change
+        numbers = [list(range(10)) for _ in range(4)]
+        changed = (False, True, False, True)
+        VariablePassing.multipleParamsStatic(*numbers, pass_by_reference=changed)
+        self._verify_all(numbers, changed)